October 30, 2013

Green
Giant has a really amazing thing going on right now with their “Raise a Giant” campaign to help put an
end to bullying. This is a big deal because bullying is one of the biggest
threats to kids right now and it can happen at school or anywhere they are at. This
leads to a cycle of fear and anxiety that is not needed and can be avoided.

Green
Giant partnered with PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center and We Day
Minnesota to help parents with “Raise a Giant” to help stop bullying in their
community.

To
be a “Giant” doesn’t mean that you are bigger or better than anyone else. It
means you stand up for others and help speak up for those who may be afraid to
do so for themselves. Explain that it is okay for them to be the one to speak
up and say that bullying is “not okay” when they see it happening.

You
can help “Raise a Giant” by telling your kids how special they are and
encourage them to be a part of preventing bullying by being a “Giant.” Visit
the www.raiseagiant.com website and
read letters that others have written, and write your own!

“Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been
provided by Green Giant® through MyBlogSpark.”

October 21, 2013

Mexican
dishes are one of my family’s favorite types of foods to cook. It is usually
quick, easy, and we all love it. I don’t have a lot of time to cook, so finding
some delicious Old El Paso frozen
entrees for two was fantastic! It saves even more time and still tastes great.

Frozen
Entrees available from Old El Paso include:

·Chicken
Burritos

·Chicken
Enchiladas

·Chicken
Fajitas

·Chicken
Quesadillas

·Shredded
Beef Burritos

·Shredded
Beef Enchiladas

·Steak
Fajitas

·Steak
Quesadillas

My
family loved the chicken quesadillas and steak fajitas. They are seasoned very
well and actually don’t end up soggy or bland at all. The flavor is right on
and it doesn’t taste like it was frozen. I’d definitely get this again and
would recommend it for anyone who enjoys Mexican food.

Which
of these entrees would you like to try?

“Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been
provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.”

October 13, 2013

Let it Shine by John Perlin is a book
that features the sun as an amazing resource that people have been using for
thousands of years. Solar power isn’t a new idea, in fact, it has been in use
for over six thousand years (and probably much longer than that). Read this
book to find out about how humans have been using the sun, and what to look
forward to in terms of future plans, too.

Book
Description

“Even as concern over climate change and
energy security fuel a boom in solar technology, many still think of solar as a
twentieth-century wonder. Few realize that the first photovoltaic array
appeared on a New York City rooftop in 1884, or that brilliant engineers in
France were using solar power in the 1860s to run steam engines, or that in
1901 an ostrich farmer in Southern California used a single solar engine to
irrigate three hundred acres of citrus trees. Fewer still know that during the
Renaissance Galileo and his contemporaries planned the construction of
sun-focusing mirrors as the ultimate weapon to burn enemy fleets and towns,
that Leonardo da Vinci planned to make his fortune by building half-mile-long
mirrors to heat water, or that the Bronze Age Chinese used hand-sized
solar-concentrating mirrors to light fires the way we use matches and lighters
today.

In this definitive
history of solar technology, John Perlin tells a story that goes back more than
six thousand years to when the Stone Age Chinese built their homes to make
maximum use of the sun’s energy in winter. The book profiles the fascinating
characters who made the solar revolution possible, revealing a group of unknown
pioneers, like Gustav Vorherr, who opened up the first school of solar
architecture in the 1820s, as well as solar advocates known for other
accomplishments, such as Socrates, who 2,500 years ago gave a detailed
discourse on designing passive solar homes.

With thirteen new
chapters,Let It Shine is
a fully revised and expanded edition ofA Golden Thread, Perlin’s classic history of solar technology,
detailing the past forty years of technological developments driving today’s
solar renaissance. This unique and compelling compendium of humankind’s solar
ideas tells the fascinating story of how our predecessors throughout time,
again and again, have applied the sun to better their lives — and how we can
too.” – Let
it Shine

My Thoughts

Let it Shine
is a very educational yet still interesting and relevant book about the sun,
energy, and how people as a civilization have been using it. Before reading
this book, I knew that using the sun was not a new concept. However, I didn’t
realize that people had been putting it to such good use, even six thousand
years ago. School doesn’t exactly teach us about all the cool things that it
should, but thanks to books like this, we can learn fascinating details about
mankind, civilizations, and new ways to look for the future of humankind.

I really enjoyed reading and learning so much from
this book. I think that using renewable (and free) resources for energy is something
that should be invested in much more than is currently being done. I also think
that depending solely on a power grid is probably not the best idea countries
can have. The move should be to have self-sustaining sources for families to
utilize. Books and authors such as this only make me believe that more
strongly. If you also feel this way, and want to learn more, I highly recommend
that you read this book. I definitely recommend it.

* Thank you
to the publisher of Let it Shine, New
World Library, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All
opinions expressed are my own.

The Cutting Season by Attica Locke
is a charming read that brings mysteries of the past into the present. Set in
the lovely area of famous Louisiana plantations, this is one novel you don’t
want to miss out on.

Book
Description

“Caren Gray manages Louisiana's stately Belle Vie, an
antebellum plantation-turned-tourist attraction where the past and the present
coexist uneasily. Outside the gates, an ambitious corporation snaps up
sugarcane fields from struggling families, replacing local employees with
illegal laborers. Tensions mount when a female migrant worker is found in a
shallow grave on the edge of the plantation property, her throat cut clean
through.

As the sheriff's
department zeroes in on a suspect, Caren suspects the police are chasing the
wrong leads. Putting herself at risk, she unearths startling secrets about the
long-ago disappearance of a former slave that has unsettling ties to the
current murder—secrets that a desperate killer will stop at nothing to keep
buried.

Taut, hauntingly
resonant, and beautifully written,The
Cutting Seasonis a
thoughtful meditation on how America reckons its past with its future.” – The
Cutting Season

My Thoughts

The Cutting
Season is a book that takes place in one of my favorite areas of America, Louisiana.
Although I admittedly am a bit biased on this aspect of the book, I think the
author did an amazing job with the story in this beautiful part of the country.
She is truly able to weave in the mysterious past of this area with the
charming qualities it still has today.

The main character, Caren, is searching for clues
to a crime in the present as well as one that is in the past, which
surprisingly involves one of her ancestors. The mystery aspect to the novel is
enjoyable and full of twists that make it a captivating read right up to the
end. I also like how the author uses the real aspects of plantations being used
for much different purposes than what they were originally used for, such as
locations for weddings and tourist attractions.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It is full
of realistic mystery set in the heart of one of Louisiana’s plantations. I
definitely recommend it to anyone who likes southern mysteries, and of course,
New Orleans and/or Louisiana.

* Thank you
to the publisher of The Cutting Season, Harper
Perennial, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All
opinions expressed are my own.

The Art of Healing by Bernie S.
Siegel, MD is a book that teaches us that healing can be done in many ways,
including use of art therapy. Discover new ways to think about healing, and
combining science with spirituality in this book.

Book
Description

“In these pages, renowned medical doctor
and spiritual teacher Bernie Siegel demonstrates how science and spirituality
interact — and how you can tap your body’s potential to heal. After studying
the use of crayon drawings by patients facing life-threatening disease, Bernie
founded Exceptional Cancer Patients to facilitate self-induced healings, which
were often called miraculous. Bernie realized our bodies actuallywant to heal, and we can aid this innate
propensity through what are currently seen as unconventional practices,
including drawing, visualization, dreams, love, and laughter. You’ll learn how
to use these practices to help with everything from diagnosing and
understanding your illness to making the correct treatment decisions to sharing
your experience with loved ones and caregivers. Filled with inspiring true
stories and suggestions for traveling your own healing journey, this book
offers hands-on, patient-proven techniques that can create miracles.” – The
Art of Healing

My Thoughts

The Art of
Healing is a holistic healing book that can be used by anyone to help heal
themselves. This book taught me that art can be used to not only create
beautiful pieces of work, but also to help heal. The drawings in the book
showed how they can be used to help uncover more about you than you thought,
and can help to heal in a holistic way.

I love how this physician understands and is able
to show how we can combine healing with modern medicine to make a holistic
treatment for people. It doesn’t have to be one or the other, and this is an
excellent resource to see how very true that is.

I think this is an invaluable resource for people
who want to be healed as a whole person, not just specific pieces of themself
based on what science only says you should do. I strongly believe that modern
medicine needs to be used, but I also believe that more than just doctor visits
and prescription drugs should be used, too. I highly recommend this book to
help make that change.

* Thank you
to the publisher of The Art of Healing, New
World Library, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All
opinions expressed are my own.

Friday’s Harbor by Diane Hammond is
the tale of what happens when a zoo takes over the care of a killer whale. With
the help of the lovable employees of the Max L. Biedelman Zoo, Friday has a new
chance at life, if he can be rehabilitated.

Book
Description

“The heartwarming and provocative sequel to Diane Hammond'sHannah's Dream, Friday's
Harboris the compelling
story of a dying orca, the caring zoo that saves him, and the controversy that
threatens his captivity.

It's been three years since Hannah,
the elephant, departed the Max L. Biedelman Zoo, in Bladenham, Washington, and
much has changed, including the appointment of new executive director Truman
Levy, and the arrival of a failing killer whale named Friday.

With the help of marine
mammal rehabilitator Gabriel Jump, and a team of dedicated though inexperienced
keepers, Friday begins to recover. But not everyone believes he should be in
captivity—a debate that explodes onto a national stage. Now, Friday's fate may
no longer rest in the hands of Truman and the caring staff at the Max L.
Biedelman Zoo.” – Friday’s
Harbor

My Thoughts

Friday’s
Harbor is a memorable story that shows the author’s love for animals, and
how the debate between the public’s view of captivity vs release into wildlife
affects the animals, and the people involved.

I enjoyed reading this story, and seeing how
Friday’s recovery at the zoo happened. People love whales and seeing them up
close and personal, and this story showed how that love can help the animal,
too.

Friday’s story is memorable and animal lovers will
definitely feel for the whale in the story. The day to day life of an animal,
such as a whale, in captivity is told in a very real way in this story. The
author, Diane Hammond was the press secretary for Keiko the killer whale, and
her real knowledge of this makes Friday’s story that much more realistic.

Overall, I really did like this story. It is a
fun, easy to read novel that I definitely recommend reading.

* Thank you
to the publisher of Friday’s Harbor, William
Morrow, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions
expressed are my own.

October 6, 2013

October
is breast cancer awareness month, and Yoplait is joining the fight against
cancer with their “Saving
Lids to Save Lives” event going on right now. It is an easy way that you
can participate in supporting breast cancer research by simply buying foods you
were probably going to buy anyways.

This
year, you can also participate in “Pledge Your Part” which is a new online
initiative that was designed to encourage people to take a pledge to help fight
breast cancer. It could be by simply taking part of the saving lids event,
walking in an awareness event, or any other way you choose.

For
me, I’m choosing to help out by taking part in the saving lids event by getting
Yoplait yogurt at Publix. It is quick, easy, and can help to make a difference.
How do you plan on helping this October?

October 3, 2013

I
try to eat healthy throughout the year, and one of the foods that I buy
frequently is Green Giant
frozen vegetables. These leafy greens and mixed variety vegetables are great
for someone on a diet and of course a great addition for meals when just wanting
to eat right.

Sometimes
when I’ve been on diets, I’ve felt ‘hungry’ a lot because of the limited amount
of foods I could eat, but with vegetables, I found you can eat a lot, feel
full, and still have a low caloric intake.

Green
Giant has steamed, crunchy, and fresh vegetables that are already seasoned with
low fat sauces and spices to give it the flavor that can really make a meal
yummy. They also have 27 varieties that are under 100 calories.

Do
you also like to buy Green Giant to help with your weight loss goals, or health
maintenance? Which varieties do you like best?

Disclosure:
The information and prize pack have been provided by Green Giant® through
MyBlogSpark.

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